THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Video - Hear The Voice of Actor Tom Hardy as BANE!!

SPOILER ALERT!! Check out this video showing some of the filming for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES at Heinz Field. Here's what the guy making the video said, "After Bane [Tom Hardy] blows up the football field when 86 of the Gotham Rogues [Hines Ward] runs to make a touchdown after the kick off [this is what we were told was going on during filming] he comes out to address and strike fear in Gotham City [us]. The raised part you see is whats suppose to be left of the football field. He comes out and pulls the microphone from the dead? Ref [which is just a dummy] on the ground outside the tunnel where he comes out with his thugs and someone he has prisoner. He also drags out some big crazy device that's supposedly the means of our destruction..."

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Video - Heinz Field Being Prepped for Filming

OK, be warned, possible SPOILER ALERT! Here's some cool aerial footage from WPXI of the Heinz Field Football Stadium in Pittsburgh being prepped for filming BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. In the movie the Gotham Rogues will face the Rapid City Monuments in a fictional football game in Gotham City!

Exclusive 1966 BATMAN MOVIE WALLPAPER - Illustration Art By Christopher Franchi

The Bat-Blog was recently blessed with a preview of a brand-new illustration by famed Graphic Designer Christopher Franchi. He's the Art Director for Metaluna 5 Media, which handles a lot of licensed properties like: KISS, Bettie Page, Alice Cooper, Star Trek, Superman, Spawn, Peanuts, Evil Dead, Betty Boop and the list goes on & on. Here is an EXCLUSIVE & Super-Awesome 1966 BATMAN WALLPAPER Chris created for the BAT-BLOG! Well, he did all the artwork & I put the Bat-Blog Logo on it, ha! Now, of course, this image relates to the 1960's BATMAN MOVIE because it shows Lee Merriwether as Catwoman. Plus, it's got the other Super-Evil Villains: The Joker ( Cesar Romero ), The Penguin ( Burgess Meredith ), The Riddler ( Frank Gorshin ), and the Hero himself, BATMAN ( Adam West )! The artwork is extremely amazing! The illustrations were all done on Cold-Press Art Board with Gouache and Colored Pencil. Then, they were scanned and assembled digitally. I like how each character has their own colored-outline, to make them sort of pop-off the page. There is also that "light ray" effect that's pretty freakin' cool!! ( Thanks Christopher, I know everybody is going to totally love this incredible Bat-Art!! )

Art Video - Comic Book Artist Freddie Williams II Drawing BATMAN

While at Comic Con 2011, DC Comics' Artist Freddie Williams II, drew this awesome BATMAN drawing using pencil & water brush. Check it out!!

Exclusive BATMAN STATUE For Japanese ARKHAM CITY Collector's Edition

OK, for now, this is sort of a rumor I have not been able to 100% confirm but supposedly Japan will have a completely different Batman Statue inside their Japanese retail version of the BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY Collector's Edition Video Game. We have all seen the Statue for the USA & Europe versions, it's pictured on the left. On the right side might be the one for Japan. It's basically the same thing, just more colorized. It also looks a lot more realistically detailed. But hey, please stay tuned to the Bat-Blog & if we get more information on this then we'll report it.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Movie - DESKTOP WALLPAPERS of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle ( Catwoman )

Warner Bros today "leaked out" some official photos of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle ( Catwoman ) from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Movie. She's wearing a sleek black "Super Spy" High-Tech Outfit & I think it has more to do with her in her "Selina Kyle" Persona than as Catwoman, the Villain. It looks like she is stealing the BAT-POD Motorcycle Prototype from Gotham University! But anyway, to celebrate we have taken the best high-resolution photo we could find & made these two ANNE HATHAWAY DESKTOP WALLPAPERS, enjoy!

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Movie - First Official Photo of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle ( Catwoman )

This is a quick post to share what a lot of people have told me is the 1st official photo of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle. Hey, it looks like she's stealing the Bat-Pod! Now, I seriously don't think this is the CATWOMAN Costume. It's really just a tease from Warner Bros. Yeah, we'll have to wait a little longer to see the Cat-Suit, ha! For more pics of Anne Hathaway be sure to check out the other post with CATWOMAN WALLPAPERS!

VIDEO - 1966 BATMAN TV Show Record - Burgess Meredith Sings as the Penguin

Check out this great music video. Well, there really are not any visuals, just a still photo, but the audio is good. This is Burgess Meredith, as the Penguin from the 1966 BATMAN TV Show, singing his "Penguin" song titled "The Capture". Also pictured up above is the original paper sleeve cover for the super-rare 45rpm record. The music is actually pretty decent, WWAACCKK!

NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN Vending Machine Ride Spotted in Delaware!

I love when Bat-Blog Fans share their personal stories & this one is kinda fun. This is a picture of a "New Adventures of Batman" Quarter Ride that Mike & his Son spotted on vacation at an Outlet Plaza in Rohoboth Beach, Delaware. Mike's son has always been a very big fan of "New Adventures of Batman" and this was an extremely cool thing for him to see. It's also pretty RARE. I think out of all the different Batman character-related vending machines this one is the most obscure. You just never see it anymore! ( Thanks Mike )

BATMAN For City Council in Tulsa!

BATMAN is running for office in Tulsa, Oklahoma! No, not the "comic book character", but a real-life person named Mike Batman. Mike immigrated from Syria in 1982 & has made Tulsa his home since then. When he got here he started working part-time at Church's Fried Chicken & now owns his own Convenience Store. He just opened his own car lot called "Batman's Auto Sales". Mike is pretty well known in Tulsa. In fact, he is sort of a local hero. Since operating his own business, he has been extremely generous in donating to local causes. Well, now he is running for Tulsa City Council, District 9. The election is in November & we wish him all the luck in the world! Now, most people who read this blog don't know anything about me but I live in Oklahoma City, which is about an hour & a half away from Tulsa. I love that city, it's really great! I used to go there at least once a month for business & have always enjoyed the visit. So, when I came across this story I knew I had to share it.

Kevin's BATMAN LOGO & BAT-CYCLE Birthday Cakes!!

Check out this really fun photo from our friend Kevin. For his birthday this year he had, not one, but two Batman Birthday Cakes, YES! The top one has a very cool Toy Figure of the Caped Crusader on his Bat-Cycle. The next one, obviously ( ha! ), is the famous "Yellow" Bat-Logo! Thanks for sharing your photo Kevin and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Video - Interview with Vintage Japanese Batman Toy Collector Yuji Ueda

Here's a very well-made video featuring our friend Yuji Ueda. He's a big Batman Toy Collector & his main focus is the Japanese items from the 1960's. In fact, the video is sort of a tour of famous Vintage Toy Shops in Japan ( Yes, that would be my dream vacation, ha! ). But, as you'll see from this interview, he also likes the modern day stuff as well. OK, get ready to drool!

FREE COOL BATMAN WALLPAPERS - Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!

OK, Long time Bat-Blog Fans know the drill. Every Wednesday we post a few custom-designed BATMAN Wallpaper Backgrounds for you to enjoy....so, enjoy! The 1st one is an homage to 1970's Batman. I think this artwork was originally the comic book art of Neal Adams, a Bat-Fan favorite! Then, the 2nd one is a parody of the 1960's TV Series Logo. It says, "HENCH", referring to "Henchmen". This is all about some characters on the modern day TV Cartoon, The Venture Bros. On that show there's an evil Super-Villain named "The Monarch" & he has a very large team of Henchmen. This graphic design is actually from a T-Shirt & if you would like more info on that then just click HERE!

RETROACTIVE BATMAN Comic Books Still Going Strong!

Hey Comic Book Collectors! Tomorrow, on Wednesday, August 3rd, be sure to keep an eye out for the latest DC Comics' RETROACTIVE 1980's BATMAN title. This all-new criminal mystery is written by Mike W. Barr with art by Jerry Bingham. It also features another Reaper story (the start of the BATMAN: YEAR TWO storyline) by Mike W. Barr, Alan Davis, and Paul Neary, that was originally published in the 1980’s. For a FREE PREVIEW of the 1st few pages, click HERE!

Brand-New BATMAN COMIC BOOK ART Wallpaper

This is just a quick post to share a BATMAN Desktop Background Wallpaper I made the other night using some very current artwork of BATMAN from the New JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 Comic Book Issue.

BATMAN ARKHAM CITY - Video Game Skins Are Going Crazy!

OK, I woke-up this morning to discover that there are even MORE MORE MORE Costume-Mod Skins for Batman: Arkham City! Keeping up with it all is driving me crazy and I predict that there will probably be many more, ha! For now, here are the ones that will be foreign exclusives to certain companies. I would like to add that I think all of these will be made available to everybody in the future. I mean, you know everyone world-wide is going to want each and every Bat-Suit! Here they are -





From left to right: Batman Beyond, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Earth One, 1970's Batman, and The Animated Series. The last one is the Regular "Arkham City" Version.









For now, the break-down on who is offering these skins is as follows:

• ShopTo.net (UK) or Toys ‘R Us (USA) – 1970′s Batman
• MightyApe – Batman Beyond, Earth One, The Animated Series
• GameStop.co.uk – Batman Beyond

More New BATMAN MERCHANDISE To Look For!

Here's a quick post to show a few Brand-New BATMAN ITEMS and COLLECTIBLES to keep an eye out for. It looks like FUNKO is continuing their line of DC Universe POP Heroes with the TWO-FACE Vinyl Figure! I don't know why, but I really like this one. Maybe because it's so gosh darn cute, ha! Next is an item that true BATGIRL Fans will really love. Over at the HOT TOPIC website they're selling DC Comics "Girl Superhero" Beauty Products. For an example check out this BATGIRL BERRY LIPGLOSS! I actually really like the packaging design. Then, last but not least, is a DC Universe Action Figure of ROBIN from the YOUNG JUSTICE TV Cartoon. This new toy was spotted at Target.



Now, I gotta ask: If ANYBODY out there comes across ANY Brand-New Bat-Stuff while you're running through the retail stores then please let me know. My email button is always on the top right-hand side of this page.

Video - Batman and Bane Fighting at City Hall ( Filming THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Movie )

SPOILER ALERT! Here's a video showing another day of filming in Oakland (Near Pittsburgh, PA). In this scene you can see Batman and Bane doing some serious fighting!

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Movie News - Video of 3 Tumbler Batmobile Cars in Pittsburgh!

Yes! THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman movie is really getting underway! Here's a video showing the "Camouflage Version" of the Tumbler cruising the streets of Pittsburgh! Actually, there are 3 of them. I guess they either have back-up ones or they each perform a different function...cool!

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES - 1st Decent Photo of TOM HARDY as BANE in Full Costume

A friend just sent me this great photo taken by Photographer Jared Wickerman showing Actor TOM HARDY as BANE in Full-Costume! ( Click on it for a larger, sharper version ). They're filming THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman movie right now in Pittsburgh & he got this great shot! To check out more cool Photojournalism from Jared, just click HERE!

Original BATMAN Comic Book Art at TOONSEUM in Pittsburgh has been extended through August 21st.

In Pittsburgh, at the TOONSEUM, they're having an Comic Art Show called "SUPERHEROES : ICONS & ORIGINS". Basically it's an Art Gallery showing of Vintage Comic Book Art. Now, it was going to end on July 31st but now they have been extended it through August 21st. For more information, click HERE!

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Movie News - The Batsignal Seen in Pittsburgh!

To celebrate the fact that the next Batman Movie, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, will be filmed for one month in Pittsburgh the city hired "Lightwave International" to create a BAT-SIGNAL to welcome the Director, Actors, & Film Crew. The BAT-LOGO shined on the famous Highmark Building & was actually done with High-Powered Lasers! Be sure to click on the photo below for a larger, more detailed, version... it's freakin' AWESOME!!

BATMAN ARKHAM CITY - 1970's Inspired BATMAN SKIN - UK Video Game Exclusive

In BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM we could all pretty much be Batman but all with the same costume. For BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY there has already been an announcement that, in the Special "Limited Collector's Edition" of BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY, it will include a Frank Miller-style "The Dark Knight Returns" Batman skin that will change the appearance of the character to look like the TDKR version.



OK, it's been announced in the UK that if you buy the "Limited Collector's Edition" of BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY from a company called SHOP TO, you can get a free EXCLUSIVE download that will enable you to have a 1970's Inspired Costume Skin ( see the pic up above ). Now, I'm not sure if this will be made available in the USA or if it will even work with American Consoles. But if you're curious & wanna check it out then here's a LINK!

Video - BATMAN YEAR ONE - Warner Bros Promo at Comic-Con 2011

Well, at this year's 2011 Comic Con a few lucky people got to see the new DC Universe Animated Movie BATMAN: YEAR ONE. The reviews have been decent so that's cool. I guess the rest of us will have to wait for the DVD or Blu-Ray & Digital Download ( Oct 18th ).

Question About THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Movie Teaser Trailer

OK, by now each & everyone of us have seen the brand-new Teaser Trailer for the THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman movie, probably more than once. Here's my question. At the end of the trailer we see an image of Batman being confronted by Bane. We really don't get a very good view of Bane but in the background is some guy who standing off in the distance. Does anybody know who this is & is he a major character? Just curious... Oh yeah, you might have to click on the above photo for a larger, sharper, version.

More New Photos From BATMAN LIVE World Arena Tour in the UK!

Check out these 2 wonderful photos all the way from England. Our friend, Michael, who lives in Leeds, went to the BATMAN LIVE event in the UK ( Super-Jealous! ) & took these pics. The 1st one is an advertising standee of Batman that he saw in the foyer of the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle. I begged him to steal for me but he's a good citizen & would not do it, Ha Ha!



Then, Michael got this great shot of the Official "BATMAN LIVE" Souvenir Merchandise they have on sale. It looks like there are many different T-Shirts to choose from, a few Ceramic Coffee Mugs, a Program Booklet, and even some Batman Cowl Masks! ( Be sure to click on the photo for a larger version ). Great, more cool Bat-Stuff I can't afford, ha! But really, I can't wait till this show hits the USA next year. Thanks Michael for sharing your photos, you ROCK, Sir!

NEW BATMAN FINE ART PRINT - Tribute To Dick Sprang & Carmine Infantino

Awhile back, right here on the Bat-Blog, we featured some amazing artwork by an Artist named Christopher Franchi. He did this piece that combined a classic iconic image of Batman and Robin, by Carmine Infantino, & he recreated it in the drawing style of Golden Age Comic Book Artist Dick Sprang. I mean, if you're familiar with both of these Artists you can see the combination and it's an extremely awesome image. Well, Chris got it licensed by DC Comics & now it's a Limited Edition Fine Art Print ( only 75 will be made, so, very limited ). It's pretty BIG, measuring about 24" X 36" and is printed on a sturdy, high quality, card stock. It is also signed by the Artist. The thing is, it's now on eBay & I wanted to share this with my Readers because I know a lot of people will want one! For more information, just CLICK HERE!

BATMAN ART - Comic Book Cover Done in Stained Glass

A Friend shared this link with me the other day where it shows an Artist's work that is completely amazing. This guy has recreated a bunch of Vintage Comic Book Covers in Stained Glass. The effect is pretty cool! His name is Brandon Barker & here is his tribute to Detective Comics #31, which first appeared in 1939 & is a total classic. I mean, it's actually an icon! The story of this book was titled "Batman Verses The Vampire ( Part 1 )" & was the 1st introduction of the "Mad Monk" Villain Character. To check out other work by this Glass Artist just click HERE!

Billy's BATMAN LIVE WORLD ARENA TOUR Adventure in the UK

Last week, in the UK, the BATMAN LIVE World Arena Tour had started & ever since then we have got a ton of personal reports. The good news, all the reviews are really positive. I've been keeping up with this show from the beginning & have been kinda skeptical. I mean, they were either going to make this show amazing or it would totally bomb. Luckily, it's a great event, whew! Here are a few photos sent in by our friend Billy, who is lucky enough to live in the UK. He said the show was totally great! Now, at the show he only had a camera phone but he did manage to get a few nice pics.



In the 1st one we get a really good look at the costumes for Batman and Robin, nice. Next, is a scene where a HUGE Joker Hot Air Balloon appears on stage! Then, the last 2 show the giant-sized bat-shaped video screen. I've heard that this is used to great effect for making transitions to other locations. Plus, it gave the show a great visual effect, like seeing tons of Bats flying across Gotham City or the Batmobile driving through the city. Oh yeah, in the last photo you can see a photo of our friend Billy. Yes, photographic proof that he was there, ha!

BATMAN WALLPAPERS OF THE JOKER - Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!

Here are 2 Cool Wallpaper Backgrounds of THE JOKER that were submitted by some extremely awesome Bat-Blog Fans! the 1st one is a photo taken the other night at the BATMAN LIVE event in the UK. It was shot by our friend Billy. This is a stage prop where a giant-size JOKER HEAD comes out on stage. The Joker's eyeballs, teeth, & tongue are actually real people and they all tumble out at once, it's a pretty cool visual effect! Next is a Tribute to Brian Bolland's BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE Graphic Novel. This was sent in by a Graphic Artist named Chris Bacon. He took some classic artwork and gave it a whole new look. Thanks Guys, Great Job! Now, be sure to check out our other Batman Wallpapers by clicking the button down below.